The Lion King: Kopa's Return
by Watership's Nightwish Rat
Summary: The Pride Lands are in danger as a rogue lion leading a horde of hyenas and vultures has plans to conquer Pride Rock. Kovu and Kiara's youngest cub, Thuraya, foresees the lion's wrath and sets off on a heroic quest with the help of her cowardly brother Bem and their returned uncle Kopa to stop the villain and save their home...
1. A Hunter and a Coward

**Author's Notes:**

**Here's the first official chapter to my very first _Lion King_ story. This will be different from some other stories I have written, but I can only say... Yay to being different! :D Please R&R!**

**Also: I wrote a chapter of some notes about this story but, to make sure I don't break rules, I had to remove it from the story and put it on my profile page. Check it out if you haven't already! It'll help you better understand what's going on.**

* * *

"Come on, Bem!" a female lion cub called to a bigger and older male lion cub as they chased after a small group of antelope. "We can't let our prey get away this time!"

The lion cub being called to gasped in exhaustion. "We're supposed to let Mom and Gramma catch our dinner, Thuraya!" Bem complained to the other cub. "We're not big enough to catch it on our own, yet!"

Thuraya looked over her shoulder and briefly glared at her brother. "If you want to wait until you're an adult, go ahead," she snapped. "I'll do this on my own if I must!"

Bem stopped in his tracks and glared back. "Fine! I'm going back home and I'm telling Mom!" _She always stops at this threat_, he thought knowingly.

"Go for it!" Thuraya shot back. "I don't care any more!"

"Fine!" Bem screamed. He ran back across the prairie back to his home, Pride Rock.

The small, young lion cub kept up her pursuit, getting closer and closer to the slowest antelope. Once she was within a yard away from her prey, Thuraya let out a loud growl as she pounced onto the antelope's back. The animal bucked around for a moment before Thuraya clamped her jaws around the back of its neck and yanked to her right. The antelope fell to the ground in a lifeless heap, Thuraya jumping off of it as it did to avoid being crushed. Thuraya grabbed her kill and began to drag it back home.

"Aren't you a little young to be hunting?" an adult male voice said behind the cub.

Thuraya promptly placed her front right paw on the dead antelope, released her jaws' grip on its severed neck and turned her head to see a large, dark brown lion with black mane standing there. She recognized him immediately as Kovu, the king of Pride Rock. "Hi, Dad," she said as gently as she could through her gasps of exhaustion. "No, I'm not too young to hunt. The Great Kings of the past even told me so last night."

Kovu lifted his left eyebrow, which was marked with a scar. "Honest?"

"Honest," his daughter replied.

Thuraya's father could tell that she was telling the truth. "Alright, Thuraya, you can have this one, but you'll have to share it with us."

"Okay, Dad." Although Thuraya would usually try to keep something she got all to herself, she was too tired to really care either way.

"Why don't you let me take it home?" Kovu asked. "I can see that your little adventure has you totally exhausted."

"No thanks, Dad. I killed it, so I'll take it home."

The lion could not help but grin at the small cub. "Alright, kid. Is there anything I can do to help you though?"

"You can make sure nobody tries to take it," Thuraya suggested.

"How do you know _I_ won't try to?" Kovu asked cheekily.

Thuraya grinned a bit dangerously. "Because I know where you sleep."

Kovu chuckled. "Your aunt Vitani would boast 'That's my niece!' if she were with us right now."

"I don't doubt that for a moment, Dad." Thuraya grabbed her kill and began to drag it once more.

Her father walked proudly behind her. _My little girl's growing up_, he thought happily. _I'm glad she inherited my hunting skills instead of Kiara's._ He smiled at the thought of his mate's poor hunting skills. _I'm a bit surprised that Kiara hasn't figured it out yet._ His thoughts drifted to his two children. _Our cubs are so different from each other and every one else, and I'm surprised they haven't been bullied: Bem with his dark brown fur, green eyes, blonde head and tail manes, light orange fur on his paws and belly, dark orange fur in his ears, and his wimpy personality; and Thuraya with her lighter brown fur, blue eyes, red tail mane, red star-shaped patch of fur on her forehead, the furry cheeks she inherited from me, light green fur on her belly and paws, dark green fur in her ears, and her ability to talk to the Great Kings of our past._ He smiled once more. _They may be different, but I love them dearly: not just because I'm their father, but because they bring something new to everyone's lives each day. I don't recall feeling this much happiness when I lived in the Outlands._ He shuddered at the thought of his old home. _I'm just glad that they don't have to live there._

*!*

It was almost an hour later when Kovu and Thuraya were inside Pride Rock. Thuraya dropped her kill at hers and Kovu's feet before sitting down, panting exhaustively. Kiara, Bem, Simba, Nala, Vitani and Sarabi rushed forward to greet them. Kiara stared sternly at Thuraya. "I told you not to go hunting until you're older! You're supposed to let us adults do it!"

"Stop!" Kovu roared. Kiara fell silent and, like everyone else in the cave, stared at Kovu in shock as he continued. "The Kings gave her permission to hunt, saying that she's not too young. She killed this antelope by herself and brought it here without needing me to take over the job. If there's anyone in here that you need to yell at, it's Bem!"

"Why me?" Bem cried out.

"For leaving your sister behind to get her in trouble with your mother," Kovu explained. "I was watching you both today. Bem, I'm disappointed in you."

"Thuraya disobeyed Mom, though!"

"And you left her to possibly die," Kovu shot back.

Bem shrank back nervously. "I-I'm sorry," he stuttered.

Everyone in the cave glared at him. "You always say that," Kiara scolded her son, "but you always do it again. You're not truly sorry, you just want to avoid punishment and make your sister take the fall. No dinner for you tonight."

"But Mom- -"

"No buts!" Kiara snapped. "Go outside, now!"

Bem bolted outside, not once looking back. Kiara looked at her parents, grandmother and Vitani apologetically. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

Vitani shook her head for all four of them. "Don't be," she said. "You gotta do what you gotta do, whether or not it's nice to others."

"You've got a good point, Tani," Sarabi agreed.

*!*

A large lion glared into the Pridelands from his high atop perch in the Outlands. His brownish orange fur and purple-brown mane glistened in the light of the sunset. Nothing altered his tough focus on the Pridelands, not even the many vultures flying over his head nor the many hyenas snarling behind him. He stood up on all fours before he let out a mighty roar. The vultures all flew to the ground, landing directly in front of the lion. The hyenas all came to a stop in front of the lion as well. They all bowed their heads low. "What is it, Lord Shomari?" one of the birds asked in a military fashion.

Shomari growled delightfully at the sound of his title. "We'll stay here for the night," he explained to his feathered companions in a gruff voice. "Tomorrow is when we turn the heat up in those lands."

"In those lands?" one of the hyenas yelped. "Those are Simba's lands!"

"You think I don't know that?" Shomari growled angrily. "Besides, they won't belong to Simba for very much longer."

The vultures and hyenas all crowed and yipped in delight. "Hail Lord Shomari!" they chanted. "Hail Lord Shomari!"

Unbeknownst to Shomari and his followers, another lion with dark brown mane and a golden fur coat was watching every move they made. The new lion managed to sneak away from the large group and out of the Outlands within a half hour. Once he knew for sure that he was out of sight, he bolted across the field as fast as he could. _I'm coming home, Father_, he thought. _I will not let Shomari get to you like he got to me long ago. You may think I'm dead, but Zira and Shomari failed to kill me._

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**That does it for Chapter 1. Remember to tell me what you think! It would be greatly appreciated.  
**

**OC names and their meanings:**

**Shomari: forceful**

**Bem: peace**

**Thuraya: stars and the planets**


	2. Thuraya's Vision

**Author's Notes:**

**Here's Number 2! Big thanks to those who have left reviews so far: they are greatly appreciated!**

* * *

Bem awoke an hour before sunrise. He had not slept well, for he did not have dinner that night- -nor was he at peace with himself. _Why am I always trying to get Thuraya in trouble instead of being her big brother?_ he asked himself through his thoughts. _Am I just jealous of her for getting all of the attention from Mom and Dad, or am I jealous because she's able to talk to the Kings of our past?_ He fought back frustrated tears. _It doesn't matter anymore. I'm leaving this morning. Right now, before anyone wakes up._

The down-hearted cub walked out of the cave noiselessly and away from Pride Rock. _Goodbye, Mom and Dad. I'll return if or when I know that I'm worthy enough to be your son. Farewell to you too, Thuraya. I'll be a better brother to you if I come back._

*!*

_'Thuraya... hear me now, little lioness.'_

_The small cub looked into the clouds above her head. A strange figure formed in the middle of them. "I hear you, Great-Grandpa Mufasa," she called. "What's going on?"_

_Mufasa's face creased into seriousness. 'The Pridelands need your help, young one. It needs you to carry out this mission, for you are the only living lion who can not only fend for yourself but can talk directly with us Kings.'_

_"Alright, Great-Grandpa," Thuraya said understandingly. "What do you want me to do?"_

_'You must find and bring back the lost heart of Pride Rock, rescue peace, and help end the forceful's wrath.'_

_Thuraya lifted her eyebrows in confusion. "But what does that mean?"_

_'I am sorry, but that is for you to figure out along the way.' Mufasa's figure faded away with the clouds at that moment. 'You must leave now,' his voice echoed. 'Do not even stop to wake anyone up, just go.'_

The brown and green lion cub woke up at that instant. She looked around the cave anxiously, just to see that everyone else was still asleep. _Alright_, she thought, _let's go, little hunter._ Thuraya stood up silently and quietly sneaked out of the cave. _Find the lost heart of Pride Rock, rescue peace, and help end the forceful's wrath. I wonder what Great-Grandpa means by that?_ She shook her head to get it out of her mind. _I'll find out along the way, like he said I would._

_Wait a second, was Bem in the cave?_

She quickly stuck her head inside. There was no sign of her older brother anywhere. She stalked back outside, growling to herself. _His name may mean peace, but he sure hasn't been bringing _me_ any._

Realization struck Thuraya like lightning. _Rescue peace! Great-Grandpa was referring to Bem. If he's not here_- -she shuddered at the thought of it- -_then he's in danger somewhere else._ Without a second thought about it, she ran in the direction she sensed her brother had taken. "Oh, please let me be wrong about the place he's heading for," she muttered.

Thuraya ran nonstop for a few minutes until she heard familiar cries for help. She paused briefly to hear where they were coming from, only to find that her suspicions about Bem's whereabouts were true. She looked over a nearby ledge and into an enormous pit with large skeletons of elephants. _Oh no, not here. Not the Elephant Graveyard!_

"Help!" another cry emerged from the pit.

*!*

The golden furred lion had Pride Rock in his sights when he too heard the cries for help. He looked in the direction of the Elephant Graveyard, then back at Pride Rock, then back towards the Graveyard. _It's a cub_, he realized. He heard another voice scream, that of another cub. _Two of them._ He looked at Pride Rock. "I'm sorry, Father," he said quietly. "My homecoming will be later than I had anticipated." He dashed towards the Graveyard at full speed. _Please, don't let me be too late_, he thought urgently.

*!*

"Bem!" Thuraya called down, noticing her distressed sibling's nervous form down below.

"Thuraya, help!" Bem shrieked. "Hyenas!"

It was then that the youngest cub noticed three of the predators circling around Bem, snarling hungrily at him. Bem stood frozen with fear Acting on her impulse, Thuraya jumped headlong off of the ledge and onto the nearest hyena's back. The predator yelped in surprise before Thuraya jumped off of it and dashed to her brother.

"Come on!" Thuraya urged Bem. "Let's get out of here!"

The hyenas blocked the siblings' path by circling around them. "You're not going anywhere, ugly little lions!" one of them growled.

"Wanna bet, ugly hyena?" Thuraya challenged with her small fangs bared. She suddenly flung her brother underneath the hyena's legs before sliding after him. She lifted him up and they both dashed back to the steep cliff. "Come on!" she urged him once more. She scrambled up the cliff's side, feeling some of the dirt fall away from under her feet.

"Thuraya!" Bem shrieked. "I'm slipping!"

Thuraya gasped as she saw Bem sliding helplessly towards the mouth of a hungry hyena. Rage filled the small cub's senses as she hurled herself at the hyena once more with a growl that was almost a roar. She tackled the hyena to the ground and slashed his face with her small, sharp claws before springing back up at the ledge. Bem managed to climb to the top of the cliff before Thuraya sprang up the cliff once more, the hyena hot on her heels. The oldest of the two cubs pulled his sister up before they bolted away from the pit.

The trio of hyenas managed to climb up the cliff, although they had a tougher time than Thuraya and Bem had given their lack of climbing abilities. "Come on!" the hyena Thuraya scratched gasped. "Let's get 'em!"

One of the other hyenas glared at her companion. "And end up with those ugly marks on your face?" she snapped. "Not a chance, Bonzai!"

"Shut up, Shenzi!" Bonzai snapped. "Aren't you tired of not having anything to eat anymore?"

Shenzi frowned. "Yeah, I guess so. Ed?"

The third hyena laughed hideously and nodded in agreement.

Bonzai grinned wickedly. "Alright, then," he snarled, "let's show those uglies who's really at the top of the food chain."

The two other wild dogs yipped in agreement before all three ran after the two cubs.

Bem stopped suddenly, panting for air. "I can't run anymore, Thuraya," he gasped.

"We can't stop now," Thuraya pointed out, also gasping for air. "They're still coming after us!"

"And we're already upon you," Shenzi's voice snarled.

The cubs had no time to react as the predators circled them hungrily, slowly closing the gap. Bem and Thuraya sat there tensely for a few moments, waiting and hoping for death to be upon them quickly. Thuraya suddenly shook her head. _I can't let it end like this_, she thought. _I can't let Mom and Dad live with the same sorrow Grandpa and Gramma had to after Uncle Kopa was killed. I can't let Bem down, or Great-Grandpa down._

Thuraya could feel her eyes begin to blaze with rage as she dug her claws into the ground. Shenzi, Bonzai, and Ed were still circling around the siblings, but were also watching Thuraya in amusement. _What is she planning to do?_ they each thought. _Does she really think that she can escape from us?_

As if to answer their questions, Thuraya pounced onto Shenzi's back with her fangs bared. Ed, Bonzai and Bem watched in horrified fascination as the female cub sank her teeth into Shenzi's neck. The hyena threw herself to the ground and rubbed her back on the savanna's dirt and grass floor until Thuraya painfully let go of her. Shenzi pinned the little lioness to the ground and bared her own large fangs dangerously at her.

Bem was too terrified to distract the hyena from his sister, but not terrified enough to not scream. Without a second thought, he threw his head back and belted out the only word that crossed his mind:

"DAD!"

*!*

"Bem!" Kiara called from just outside of the cave. "Thuraya! Where are you?"

Simba wearily walked out of the den. He let out a large yawn before focusing on his daughter. "What's going on, Kiara?" he asked curiously.

Kiara looked at her father worriedly. "Bem and Thuraya aren't here," she explained. "They never leave without letting us know first. I think something's wrong!"

The former king of Pride Rock immediately became concerned, forgetting that he was still just waking up. Kiara was almost never this terrified. "Where did you see them last?" he asked.

"In the cave last night when we all went to bed," Kiara replied. She suddenly realized something. "We were all very harsh on Bem last night," she said quietly. "What if he decided to run away?"

Vitani and Kovu sprang out of the cave at that moment, causing Simba and Kiara to jump up in surprise. "That is a possibility," Vitani said glumly, acting as if she had not just scared the two lions. "Bem is a lot like poor Nuka."

Kovu nodded solemnly at the memory of his deceased brother. "I've always treated him as such, too," he said sadly. "I think..." He hung his head shamefully. "I think this is my fault. I show more pride and faith in Thuraya than I do Bem, something that my mother did with me and Nuka. Her lack of faith in Nuka caused him to get himself killed to try to prove he was worthy of Mother's approval." He suddenly perked his ears up. "Listen," he whispered.

The other three lions listened in silence for a few moments. Simba was the first to realize what was going on. "Hyenas," he breathed with rage. "They're in the Pride Lands!"

The dark brown lion became even more concerned when he heard a young voice shout: "DAD!" "They're after our cubs!" he cried. He looked at Kiara seriously. "You stay here," he said urgently. "I'll handle this."

Kiara was about to object, but the look in her mate's eyes told her otherwise. "Alright," she said. "Be careful."

Simba looked at Kovu seriously. "I'll come with you," he said sagely. "Those things can get to be too nasty for one lion alone to deal with sometimes."

Kovu nodded knowingly. "Thanks." Without further ado, the two lions bolted in the direction of the two troubled cubs. _Please let us be on time_, Kovu silently prayed.

Vitani and Kiara watched as Kovu and Simba ran off into the savanna. "I hope they get there before it's too late," The queen said quietly, feeling her eyes fill with worried tears.

Her sister-in-law nudged her gently. "They will," Vitani reassured her.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Cliff Hanger, hanging from a cliiiiiiifffff... And _that's_ why he's called Cliff Hanger! Hee hee, pardon the _Between the Lions_ reference.  
**

**Any-who...**

**Ooh, the suspense! I know what's going to happen and I'm already quaking in my boots! Wait, I'm not wearing boots on my feet, I'm just wearing socks. Heck, I'll probably wear boots later.  
**

**Just who is the golden lion who was rushing to try to save the cubs? Read the next chapter to find out!**


	3. Return of the Prince

**Author's Notes:**

**Sorry this one took longer to post, but I had suffered from writer's block just out of the blue. D: I **_**hate**_** it when that happens! Any-who, here's Chapter 3. Please R&R...**

* * *

A loud roar suddenly echoed through the savanna.

The three hyenas, Bem and Thuraya looked in the direction of the roar in surprise to see a large lion pounce at the hyenas, tackling Bonzai and Ed to the ground. He used his powerful paws to swat them forcefully, causing them to tumble head over heels into the grass and run off in fear of the lion coming at them once more to kill them. He raised a lethal paw at the remaining hyena and growled dangerously. Shenzi yelped fearfully before she released Thuraya and bolted out of sight.

The lion turned his attention to the young cubs, his eyes still full of rage from fighting off the hyenas. Thuraya was too startled and pained to move away from him. She bent her ears back fearfully, her eyes wide in terror. Bem also bent his ears back, but threw himself to the ground and covered his eyes with fear. The lion softened his gaze, noticing their discomfort. "It's alright, little ones," he said gently. "I'm not going to hurt you."

The smallest cub relaxed, sensing that he was true to his word. She weakly got up to her feet and looked at her rescuer. "Thanks for saving us, sir," she thanked.

The lion gave her a gentle grin. "You're welcome, both of you."

"Who are you?" Bem asked curiously, looking up from where he had hid his head.

"My name is Kopa," he replied. "I'm the son of Simba and Nala."

Thuraya and Bem looked up at him in surprise and curiosity. _The lost heart of Pride Rock_, Thuraya thought. "I'm sorry to tell you this," she said regretfully, "but everyone thinks that you're- -"

"- -dead," Kopa finished. "I figured that they would." It was his turn to look at the cub curiously. "What brings you out here to be chased by hyenas?"

Bem looked at his sister curiously. "I was wondering that, too."

"My brother," Thuraya answered. "He ran off this morning, and I came out here to find him."

"Is this cub your brother?" Kopa asked.

"Yes. Do you know of anyone whose name means 'forceful?'" Thuraya asked suddenly.

Kopa was caught completely off guard by Thuraya's question. "Yes, but how on earth did you correctly guess that I do?" he asked in surprise.

"Uh..." Thuraya did not know of how to respond. _He'll think I'm crazy if I tell him that I talked to my great-grandfather- -_his grandfather_- -last night in my sleep._ She finally sighed in defeat. "I'm something of a seer," she admitted.

"Yeah," Bem piped up. "She can talk to the Kings of our Past!"

Thuraya shot Bem a look of disapproval. "I told you not to tell everyone else about it!"

Bem shrugged harmlessly. "You said that we can tell only family members about it, though," he pointed out.

The youngest cub rolled her eyes. "I guess I did," she admitted.

The golden lion eyed them curiously. "What are your names?" he asked. "And how am I related to you?"

Thuraya spoke for herself and her brother. "I'm Thuraya, and he's Bem. We're the children of King Kovu and Queen Kiara. You're our uncle."

Kopa's eyes went wide. "My little sister's queen _and_ a mother?!" he exclaimed. "Wow, I really _have_ been away for too long, haven't I?"

Bem was greatly amused by his uncle's reaction. "Yeah," he chuckled, "you really have."

Thuraya, however, was still very serious. "But who exactly _is_ the 'forceful?'" she asked Kopa.

"His name is Shomari," Kopa replied solemnly, looking into Thuraya's blue eyes to prove his honesty. "I wouldn't get within a mile's radius of him if I were you. He's one of the reasons why I came back to the Pridelands."

"He's on his way over here is why," Thuraya said knowingly. "You also feel that you've been away for too long and that you'll be needed here."

"Exactly," Kopa confirmed.

"Bem, Thuraya!" Kovu's voice called.

"We're over here, Dad!" Bem called back.

Kovu and Simba's forms dashed to where the cubs and the lion were. The exhausted dark brown lion's face was creased worriedly, until he saw Kopa. He growled protectively at the long-lost prince. "Who are you?" he demanded to know. "Why are you near my children?"

Kopa looked at Kovu harmlessly. "My name is Kopa," he explained calmly. "Hyenas were trying to kill your cubs, and I came to save them." He gestured to Thuraya. "If she were any fiercer, the _hyenas_ would've needed saving."

The cubs' father grinned. "I don't doubt that for a second." His face became rather solemn. "Could you please go with Simba for a few minutes? I need to talk to my children."

"Of course." Kopa looked at Simba and smiled. "Hi, Father," he greeted.

Tears of joy filled Simba's old eyes. "Hi, son," he said softly. He gestured towards Pride Rock. "Ready to come home?"

The brown-maned lion grinned bigger, his own happy tears filling his eyes. "Yeah."

Simba smiled as he led his long lost son back home. "You've really grown," he commented. "I hardly recognized you!"

Kopa chuckled. "You've grown so old and gray that I hardly recognized _you_!" he teased.

"Remind me to pick on you that way when you're this age, would you?" Simba laughed.

"If I'm still able to remember at that age," the other lion agreed.

They both burst into fits of laughter as they continued their journey back to Pride Rock. Kovu looked at Bem and Thuraya once Kopa and Simba were out of sight. "Are you two alright?"

Bem nodded. "I'm fine," he said reassuringly. "Are you alright, Thuraya?"

"Yeah," Thuraya replied with a nod.

Kovu's facial features became severe. "What were you both doing out here before we all woke up?" he asked seriously. "You could've been killed!"

Thuraya raised an eyebrow at her father. "You _do_ know that Great-Grandpa Mufasa said that to Grandpa Simba when Grandpa Simba was a cub, right?" she asked curiously.

"No, I didn't," Kovu admitted. "But still: what were you doing?"

"Well, I came out to find Bem," Thuraya answered. "I don't really know what he was doing, though."

Tears of shame filled Bem's eyes as Kovu's stern gaze was upon him. "I ran away," he sobbed nervously. "Thuraya's so much better than me that you pay more attention to her and put me down! I can't take it anymore!" He buried his face into the dirt once more.

Kovu softened his gaze a great deal. "I'm sorry, Bem," he said solemnly. "I should've seen it from the start. Listen, if it means anything, you can always come to me if you have a problem."

Bem's tear-stained eyes looked up at Kovu. "Really?"

"Of course, son. Just don't try to get your sister and yourself into trouble from now on, alright?"

"Alright," Bem replied in a halting voice.

Kovu lifted Bem onto his back. "Let's go home."

"Okay, Dad."

Thuraya smiled as she followed her father and brother back to Pride Rock. _I'm glad they got it sorted out_, she thought thankfully. _I feel that things will work out better for Bem, now. He may get on my nerves sometimes, but he deserves to be happy._ Her thoughts drifted to her dream for the umpteenth time that day. _I rescued peace, and found and brought back the lost heart of Pride Rock- -well, the latter in a way at least. I just need to help stop the forceful._

She frowned suddenly._ If this Shomari is as cruel as Uncle Kopa says, I may not be able to face him when he comes, let alone _help_ face him._ She slightly grinned with confidence. _I'll think of something, like I always do. Let's all hope it works like all of my other plans do._

*!*

Shomari climbed almost effortlessly to the top of the tallest hill in the Outlands. He looked down upon his many followers, who were all fighting over a scrap of meat they found hidden in a tunnel. "Silence!" he roared.

All of the hyenas and vultures stopped what they were doing and looked up at their leader. Shomari grinned with pleasure. "That's more I like it," he murmured. He rose his voice by an intense amount. "It is time, my friends, to lay siege upon the Pridelands!" he announced.

"Since when did we become your friends?" a hyena's voice called out.

The large lion glared menacingly at the speaker. "Why must you always doubt the word of your king?" he demanded to know. "You did the same thing yesterday when I said we were going to take the Pridelands from Simba!"

"This'll come as a shock to you, you big fur-brain, but you're not my king!"

The hyena's words were more than Shomari could stand. _Time to show him and everyone else who's boss_, he thought angrily. He bound down from his high atop perch to the challenging wild dog in a matter of seconds, shoving his face in front of it. "You dare challenge the forceful?" he growled. "You'll never win, and you know it."

The hyena glared at the orange lion. "I know that, but I _also_ know that you'll never win against the Pridelanders," it growled back. "Scar couldn't beat Simba, and neither could the Outlanders against them. And guess what? The Outlanders who survived are living with them right now! Their fighting skills combined with the strength of the actual Pridelanders are too great for us. Too great for _you_, even! I'm leaving!"

Shomari seemed to grin understandingly. "And you have my permission," he said calmly.

The lion's followers were all taken aback. _Is he serious right now?_ they all wondered. _Is Shomari really going to let this guy leave, just like that?_

"Thank you," the hyena said uncertainly.

"You're welcome," the evil lion said.

All of the other creatures were startled once more by what happened next. Shomari suddenly flashed his claws out from his right paw and swiped it powerfully across the hyena's face, breaking its neck and killing it instantly. Shomari turned to face the remaining hyenas and vultures, holding out his bloodstained nails.

"Does anyone else want to leave while these claws are still bloody?" he challenged.

They all shook their heads fearfully. "No, Lord Shomari!" they all chorused.

"We're with you all the way!"

"We'll never desert _you_, my lord!"

"Good," Shomari growled, sheathing his lethal claws. He turned to the vast Pridelands. "Follow me!" he roared.

The vultures and hyenas all crowed and howled in excitement. Although their leader had just killed one of their own, the hyenas were even more thrilled with the idea of battle than the vultures. "Hail Lord Shomari!" they chanted repeatedly. "Hail Lord Shomari!"

Shomari grinned with satisfaction as he led his horde across the savanna, not once looking back to his followers. _That's more I like it_, he thought. He caught sight of the far away Pride Rock. _I hope you're ready to fight, Simba_, he thought more wickedly than he had before. _I killed that stupid son of yours long ago, and you and the rest of your family are next! Nothing can stop me from being king now!_

* * *

**Author's Notes:  
**

**That does it for this chapter. Please remember to review! It would be greatly appreciated.**

**Also: if, for some reason, this story takes a while to update like it just did, please feel free to check out my other stories.**


	4. Kopa's Warning

**Author's Notes:**

**Here it is at long last: Chapter 4! Sorry this one took so long, and thanks for waiting patiently. I had severe writer's block for this story, which I got over a few days ago. Please R & R.**

* * *

Kiara anxiously stood outside of the cave, Vitani standing stiffly next to her. Not one of them dared to move or speak since Kovu and Simba had set off to rescue the cubs. Nala and Sarabi silently joined the two lionesses shortly before a reassuring sight greeted all of them. "Simba!" Nala cried out in relief.

The former king of the Pridelands rushed towards his mate happily and nuzzled her. Nala responded by licking him lovingly on the cheek: Vitani coughed with disgust at the sight; Kiara shrugged it off, for she had seen it numerous times and behaved the same way with Kovu; Sarabi also shrugged it off, just glad that her son and his wife loved each other and got along; while Kopa, however, was completely caught off guard and even more disgusted than Vitani was. Simba noticed his returned son's discomfort. "Hey, Nala," he cooed sweetly, "you mind not doing that in front of Kopa on his first day back?"

It was then that Nala noticed the dark brown maned lion who came with her husband. She gasped with shock. "Is that really you, Kopa?" she asked almost breathlessly.

"Yes, Mother," Kopa said softly, his disgust at his parents' kiss forgotten. "It's been a few years, eh?"

A red-billed hornbill landed next to the lions. "More like several years," he scowled.

Simba shot a warning glance at the bird. "Watch it, Zazu," he growled.

Kovu appeared from the long grass at that moment, carrying Bem on his back as Thuraya walked alongside them. Kiara excitedly ran to greet her family. "Kovu, children!" she called out in greeting.

The cubs and their father watched as their mother came barreling towards them. "I'll do the talking," Kovu murmured to his children. "You two need a break."

Kiara stopped directly in front of them, relief written all over her face. "I'm so glad you're all fine!" she gasped. "What happened?"

Her mate explained the events the cubs were witness to, as well as the events that ensued after he and Simba arrived at the scene. "They'd better get some rest," he finished calmly, though his tone was also deathly serious. "They've been up since almost sunset and have had a tough time."

Thuraya looked up at her father questioningly. "What about what Uncle Kopa has to say?" she asked. "He says it's urgent. Shouldn't _all_ of us hear him out first?"

"Thuraya," Kovu said sternly, "go inside and get some rest. That's an order."

"Hold on, Kovu," Vitani said to her brother. "She's right. We should all listen to Kopa first, and _then_ we can all rest up."

"I don't believe this," Zazu murmured spitefully. "The tan scoundrel agrees with the half-parrot cub."

Everyone glared angrily at Zazu, none more ferociously than Thuraya. Ever since her birth, the hornbill would always call the small cub a half-parrot (a pun concerning the green fur on her body) out of hate, though the small cub could never figure out why Zazu disliked her. She also could not understand why the bird hated Vitani. She knew very well of what her aunt and father had gone through and the terrible things they had done, but she also knew that they were different now- -and deserved to be respected for that. With a deep growl, Thuraya lowered herself to the ground, tensed up her muscles, and sprang at Zazu. The bird's eyes grew wide with fright and prepared to fly away, only to find Thuraya pinning his wings down, her face pressed against his. "Don't talk that way about me and my aunt," she growled dangerously.

Kopa grabbed Thuraya by the scruff of her neck and pulled her away from Zazu. The hornbill stood back up, dusting himself with his wings as he did. "That does it!" he shouted. "I'm out of here, and I'm not coming back until that little brat is out of here!"

Simba glared even more harshly at his longtime friend. "I've never known you to be this disrespectful in my life!" he roared. "Get out of here, now!"

"With pleasure," Zazu snarled. With that, he spread his wings open and flew away.

Thuraya then realized what she had done with her actions as Kopa placed her back on the ground. "I'm sorry," she stuttered. "I-I didn't mean to, I-I just- -" She suddenly could not find her voice.

"Don't worry about it," Simba told his granddaughter. "Besides, Zazu always returns at the first sight of danger." He looked at his son seriously. "Speaking of danger, what was it you had to tell us about?"

Kopa's gaze turned grave as the rest of the pride came out of the cave's entrance. "Shomari's on his way here," he informed his father. "He has a large and powerful army of hyenas and vultures. He plans to take over Pride Rock and kill everyone in the pride."

~!~

Shomari called his army to a halt in the tall grass roughly a mile away from Pride Rock. _We've been walking for hours_, he thought. _Besides, it'll be good to get these fools to start being quiet before we get within Simba's hearing range._ He let out a brief roar for silence. His many followers all became deathly quiet. "Thank you," Shomari said in a low yet audible voice. "We are almost to our destination, which means silence is everything from this point on."

"We know, Lord Shomari!" one of the hyenas yipped. "Some of us have been with you for several years now."

"Be quiet!" the large lion hissed. "I'm reminding everyone because you have a bad habit of forgetting."

The hyena lowered its head shamefully. "I'm sorry, Lord," it said. "It won't happen again."

Shomari jumped on the hyena without warning, immediately eliciting a loud crunching sound from its neck. He dropped the dog's carcass spitefully. "Darn right it won't."

"Oh my!" a strange voice shrieked. "I must tell Simba!"

The villain lifted his head to see a familiar hornbill hovering just above him. The bird immediately flew towards Pride Rock. "Kill him!" Shomari ordered. "He'll give away our position!"

~!~

"What is it we need to do?" the Kovu asked Kopa thoughtfully.

"We don't know how much he's changed since he and Zira threw you into the gorge," Simba said glumly, "if he's changed at all."

"He's actually a hundred times more powerful than he was before," Kopa explained. "As for what we need to do, the best thing to do is—"

"—be ready for him."

The onlookers were surprised by Thuraya's ready words. "But how do we do that?" a lioness asked.

"We need lookouts posted around Pride Rock," Thuraya responded in a military-like fashion. "Everyone must also be trained for combat, even the cubs for if it comes down to it."

"Which we all hope it doesn't," Kovu added. "Are you saying that we _may_ have to fight Shomari?"

"I'm saying that we _need_ to," Thuraya said gravely, "hence my saying that we must all be trained for combat."

Kovu was about to argue about how absurd he thought Thuraya's proposition was and wanted to point out that they could probably arrange a discussion with the evil lion to talk him out of carrying out his plans, but felt Kopa nudge him gently. "Your daughter is right," Kopa said solemnly. "When Shomari sticks his head into someone's land, battle always follows. There's no way to talk him out of it."

"How did you know—"

"—what you were thinking? I've seen that look on your face many times with other kings. Most of them refused to listen to helpful advice—like Thuraya's—and were immediately defeated. Listen to her. After all, she's the only one here who's able to talk to the Great Kings."

A shrill scream of fear echoed throughout the savanna. "Zazu!" Bem shouted in recognition.

The long-lost prince narrowed his eyes to get a better view, shocked to see the hornbill being chased by vultures. "Shomari's close, now," he said grimly.

An idea suddenly popped into Thuraya's head. "Timon, Pumbaa!" she called.

A warthog trotted towards the companions, a meerkat riding on his back. "What's the problem, Princess?" the meerkat asked worriedly, ignoring the fact that Thuraya was rolling her eyes at the nickname. "You got a hangnail? Maybe a fever?"

"No, none of that," Thuraya said as calmly and quickly as she could. "We need you two to throw rocks at those vultures chasing Zazu. Can you do that?"

"Of course," the warthog said dutifully. "Not only _can_ we do it, we _will_ do it!"

"You have any idea how stupid that sounds, Pumbaa?" Timon asked his pal. His eyes lit up. "Princess, not only _can_ we do it, we _will_ do it!" he said dutifully.

Pumbaa looked at Timon in disgust. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"

"Guys!" Thuraya snapped. "We need you to get on with it, _now_!"

The odd duo set off to do their appointed task. Thuraya shook her head despairingly as she and Kopa followed them. _If only they were smarter_, she thought.

Zazu flew towards Pride Rock frantically, his two much larger pursuers gaining on him with each passing second. Even though he had left his long-time home out of rage, he still felt a need to warn Simba. _He's not king anymore, but everyone still listens to him for advice_, he thought. _Even if they won't listen to me, Simba will tell them what I say._

One of the vultures was directly above Zazu. "Lights out, birdy!" it shrieked blissfully. It powerfully swatted the hornbill with its right wing, immediately knocking him unconscious. The vulture watched as Zazu's body spiraled towards the ground. _Him hitting the ground will kill him for us_, he thought evilly. _Shomari will be pleased- -_

A rock struck the vulture square in the forehead, rendering him senseless. The other vulture saw its companion's predicament and rushed to save it from a nasty fall, only to have rocks bounce off its wings. Its eyes briefly shifted to see its attackers and immediately saw a meerkat standing on a warthog's back, ready to throw another rock at it. A brown blur suddenly jumped up into the air and caught the falling hornbill in its mouth. The vulture's eyes focused well enough to see that the blur was really a small lion cub. "Nice catch, Thuraya!" the meerkat commented.

Thuraya pulled Zazu out of her mouth and handed him to the meerkat, who gave her a look of disgust. "Hold on to Zazu, Timon!" she said urgently.

"Oh, no you don't!"

The companions looked up in time to see the vulture dive down at Timon. The meerkat could only stand there petrified as the bird of prey's claws prepared to grab him. Without giving it a second thought, Thuraya leapt between her friend and his attacker. She felt sharp claws pierced her shoulders and felt herself being lifted up into the air. She looked down to see the shrinking forms of Pumbaa and Timon staring at her in terror. "Get out of here!" she shouted to them urgently. "Hurry!"

Kopa appeared from the brush as his niece was being flown away. "Do as she says, you two!" he ordered the odd duo. "Tell the other's what's happened!" He dashed across the plains as fast as he could. "Hold on, Thuraya!"

The vulture suddenly swooped low to the ground and dropped Thuraya right in the middle of a circle of hyenas. Kopa found himself dashing even faster to the scene. He jumped over a short, thin wall of hyenas and landed right next to the young cub. The hyenas pinned down both lions as the vultures tightly wrapped vines around their legs, making Kopa and Thuraya unable to move. "We got prisoners, Lord Shomari!" the vulture who carried Thuraya said proudly.

The biggest lion Thuraya had ever seen stepped out from the crowd. There was a wicked smile across his lips. "Well done, Ned," he said quietly in a hissing voice to the vulture. "Well done indeed."

Thuraya glanced at her uncle fearfully, her ears bent back and her eyes wide open. Kopa looked back at her as reassuringly as he could, although he knew what Shomari had in store for them:

Death.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Suspenseful note ooh-ha-ha! (_Finding Nemo_ reference, sorta.) What do you think is going to happen next? Please leave your guesses in a review.**


	5. Escape to the River

**Author's Notes:**

**Here it is: Chapter 5! Sorry this one took so long. Please R&R (and enjoy if you can)...**

Shomari looked at Thuraya curiously. "What's the matter, little cub?" he asked in a sinister voice. "Worried about a big old lion?"

"Leave her alone," Kopa growled dangerously, noticing his niece's discomfort.

The villain grinned wickedly at the returned prince. "Or what? You'll try to tear me apart while you're still tied up?"

"No," Kopa replied coldly, "I'll try to tear you apart when I'm _not_ tied up."

"I'll take my chances," Shomari snarled. He placed his sharp claws on the cub's right shoulder.

Thuraya was more terrified than before at first as blood began to slowly run out of her shoulder, but she was suddenly overcome with rage. She savagely bit down on her captor's paw and managed to throw him aside with her abnormally strong neck muscles, spraining his paw in the process. She craned her neck and chewed through the vines that bound her before using her claws to swiftly cut the vines holding her uncle. Kopa sprang up from where he lay before grabbing the scruff of Thuraya's neck with his mouth and jumping over the many hyenas.

Shomari stood up from where he had been thrown to, licking his injured paw as he did. "After them!" he ordered. "Kill them both!"

*!*

"Kovu! Simba!" Timon shouted anxiously as he and Pumbaa arrived at Pride Rock. "There's been trouble!"

The two lions ran to where the odd duo came to a stop. "What do you mean?" Kovu asked. He glanced around. "Where's Thuraya?"

"Vulture!" Timon gasped, out of breath from the rush of adrenaline he felt from Pumbaa running. "Took Thuraya!"

"Where's Kopa?" Simba asked anxiously.

"He went after them," the meerkat said regretfully. "I'm sorry, Simba. We couldn't stop them."

Simba glanced at Zazu, who was still unconscious in Timon's arms. "Hakuna Matata, guys," Simba said calmly. "You saved Zazu, which is what you were supposed to do. Get Zazu to my mother: she'll be able to get him better."

Pumbaa trotted to the cave, the saddened Timon still on his back. Kovu fought down his rising temper. Simba sensed this and looked at him reassuringly. "She'll be alright, Kovu," he said calmly. "Kopa will look after her, I know he will. Besides," he added with a very small chuckle, "she killed that antelope last night on her own. She might take down a few hyenas if she must."

Kovu could not even muster a grin at the remark. "She's just so inexperienced, Simba," he said sullenly. "She doesn't know how to fight a hyena or a lion, let alone an army." He looked out into the grasslands. "We have to get a party out there!"

"No," Simba stated bluntly. "If what Kopa says is true about Shomari and his army, we'll need all of the lions we can get and keep. To send a party would mean all their deaths and our instant defeat. Thuraya and Kopa don't want that: they want us to succeed. Besides, Thuraya's too much like you and Kiara: stubborn."

The dark-furred lion waited until his companion left before muttering, "That's what I'm afraid of." _She might not listen to Kopa if he tells her to do something that'll save her life._

Unbeknownst to Kovu and Simba, Bem had been eavesdropping on their conversation. "Thuraya," he murmured quietly. _I've gotta do something. None of the adults are going to, so I guess it's up to me now._ He let out a small sigh of despair. _Can I be brave enough to do it, though? Or will I chicken out like I always do?_ The cub shook his head, creeping out of hiding as he did. _No, I can't afford to chicken out. Thuraya and Uncle Kopa need me._ Without further ado, Bem dashed into the grass, narrowly avoiding his father's attention.

*!*

Kopa ran as fast as he could through the grasslands, two dozen hyenas hot on his tail. Thuraya scanned the area ahead of them, making sure that none of their pursuers would try to cut them off. She and Kopa both knew that to return to Pride Rock would mean having hyenas attacking the rest of the pride. _But where do we go, then?_ she wondered. She suddenly remembered something. "The river," she quietly said to Kopa. "There's a cave on the other side that we can hide in."

"Where's the river?" Kopa managed to ask, despite holding the cub in his mouth.

"It's just up ahead," Thuraya replied. "It's down that steep hill. The hyenas can't swim in the river or go down the hill."

"Can _you_ swim?"

A small pause. "No," Thuraya admitted glumly.

_Well, this is just peachy!_ Kopa thought irritably. _I've got a pack of hyenas on my tail, a psychopath who wants me dead, and a cub who can't swim. How much worse can things get?_

A vulture suddenly swooped down at him, scraping his back and causing him to release Thuraya in the process. The large bird grabbed the small cub as she fell and flew towards the river Thuraya had spoken of. _I _had_ to wonder, didn't I?_ Kopa thought angrily, sprinting after the bird.

Thuraya immediately figured out what the vulture's plan was, but was powerless to stop it. _I guess I'll have to try to swim, after all_, she thought grimly. She suddenly felt the sharp claws of the villain release their grip on her. Screaming in terror, the young cub spiraled towards the raging water.

"Retreat!" the vulture yelled to its companions.

Although baffled, the rest of the hyenas and vultures did as they were told. "The river will finish them off," the vulture that dropped Thuraya would explain once they were out of Kopa's earshot. "No one can survive that thing when it's noon, you know: current's too powerful then."

*!*

Bem was just a hundred feet away from the river when he heard and saw his sister being dropped into it. "Oh no," he muttered. A strange feeling of rage swept over the timid cub as he ran at top speed to the steep cliff that stood next to the small yet treacherous body of water. A powerful growl ripped from Bem's throat, emanating a roar-like sound. "Hold on, Thuraya!"

Thuraya managed to get her head above the water as she heard her brother's call. "Bem!" she screamed before the current pulled her under again. She stuck out her right front paw and caught hold of a rotting log laying across the river. Cautiously, she tried to pull herself to the top of it, but found that she was too exhausted from fighting the raging river to do so. "Help!"

The blond-maned cub quickly yet carefully scaled down the cliff. Once he was safely on the rocky outcrop, he dashed to where his distressed sibling clung to the log. He tracted out his claws as he pressed himself to the log, carefully walking across it to make sure it did not try to flip him off of it. His eyes never left Thuraya, whom he could see was being battered relentlessly by the waves nearly to the point of blacking out. Thuraya's eyes shut slowly after another wave hit her, releasing her grip on the log. Without thinking twice about it, Bem jumped to where his sister's unconscious form was slipping underneath the wood and grabbed her by the scruff of the neck. He quickly jumped to the other end of the log—thus to the safety of the rocky beach. He gently set Thuraya's limp body on the spot that was the most flat before gently pounding his paw against the back of Thuraya's chest to help get the water out of her lungs and wake her up.

"Bem, look out!" Kopa's voice warned.

Bem turned in time to see a large, dark gold lion with red mane standing over him, growling territorially and looking as if ready to pounce. The cub recognized him immediately. "Afua! It's me: Bem!"

Afua studied the cub hard for a tense moment, then softened his gaze and relaxed his muscles. "Sorry about that, kiddo," he apologized. "Hard to recognize friend from foe when you've been living alone in a cave with a cheetah for a few years."

"Like Thuraya and I have been telling you: you need to visit Pride Rock more often," Bem pointed out with a large grin.

The older lion grinned back. "Seems as if you're both right, too." He looked across the river to see a larger figure dash towards the log. "Is that a friend of yours?" he asked Bem suspiciously.

"Yeah," Bem replied. "That's our uncle Kopa."

Afua's eyes grew wide with shock. "Kopa?" he asked. "I thought he was killed by Zira and Shomari several years ago!"

"Everyone thought so, too," the cub said gravely.

Kopa quickly dashed across the rotten log towards the companions. To everyone's shock and horror, a loud cracking sound filled the air as the log snapped in two from beneath Kopa's weight. The prince managed to jump to safety just in the nick of time before the log floated away down the river. He let out a sigh of relief. "That was a close one."

"No kidding," Afua agreed.

The brown-maned lion noticed Thuraya's still body. "Is she- -?" he asked.

"No, she's still alive," Bem said solemnly. "She's unconscious and has deep scratches from claws and rocks by the looks of her, though."

"We'd better head back home, kid," Kopa said urgently. "Your parents will be worried sick."

"_Your_ parents too, Kopa," Afua pointed out. "But I don't think it's a good idea to head back right now: those hyenas and vultures I heard chasing you might still be in the area, and I can tell right now that none of you are in any shape to fight, let alone run." He noticed a worried expression on Kopa's face and interrupted him before he could speak. "I know Shomari has returned, but I also know your family will be able to defend the pride until you three get back."

"But what can we do?!" Kopa snapped. "We can't stay here in plain sight of vultures!"

Afua looked into the prince's eyes seriously. "My cave is just around the bend," he explained. "You're all welcome to stay there until you are fit to travel."

Bem looked up at his uncle. "He's right, Uncle Kopa," he said gravely. "My father and aunt were trained to hold off any enemies that tried to enter the Outlands. Besides, we won't be able to outrun Shomari's forces if we go now."

Both adult lions raised their eyebrows at the cub. "Since when did you become the sensible one, Bem?" Afua asked.

"Well, _someone_ has to be while Thuraya's unable to," Bem pointed out.

Kopa managed a small, grim grin. "That's very true, kiddo."

* * *

**That does it for #5, folks! Be on the lookout for Chapter 6 (though that may take a lot longer for me to write and to post), if you wish to.**

**Also:**

**If you would like to check out some videos I have posted on my YouTube account, WatershipsNightwish, you can either go directly to YouTube and type in my username or you can visit my FanFiction profile page for links to some of my videos (including a few "Lion King" vids).**


	6. Things Are Not As They Seem

**Author's Notes:**

**Here it is at long last, folks: Chapter 6! I apologize for the long gap between this one and the last one: I had major writer's block with the story. Without further ado, here it is...**

* * *

Thuraya awoke a few minutes after falling into the river at the semi-gentle punch inflicted upon her back. Water came flooding into her mouth upon impact, causing her to instinctively spit it out. She groaned painfully as she slowly opened her eyes, her head pounding furiously. To her relief, there was too little light to hurt her eyes yet just enough to see her surroundings without too much strain. Just by seeing the stalagmites and stalactites around the walls, she immediately knew that she was in a cave.

The small cub felt another hit against her back, though it was much gentler than the last one. She turned her head to see Kopa standing over her after she coughed out another mouthful of water. "You do know that you're supposed to _lightly massage_ my back and not actually hit it, right?" she teased in a weak voice.

Kopa shrugged. "Sorry, never really learned that."

"You mean you've never dealt with others who nearly drowned before?" Thuraya asked in surprise.

"That is correct. This is my first time."

"But we all thought, you know, after nearly drowning in the river—" Thuraya stopped, noticing a glint of confusion in her uncle's eyes. "You didn't disappear because Zira pushed you into the river, did you?"

The older lion shook his head solemnly. "No, I didn't."

"Then... what happened?"

Kopa was about to explain when Afua and Bem entered the cave, carrying a freshly killed antelope between them. Bem managed to wait until he and Afua set their kill down before he bounded over to his sister. "Thuraya! You're okay!"

Thuraya nodded, grinning. "Of course I'm alright!" she said good-naturedly. "You're the one who saved me!"

Bem was a bit surprised. "Did Uncle Kopa tell you it was me?"

"No, but I could tell because the bite-marks on my scruff feel like the ones when you caught me from falling off the edge of Pride Rock that one time."

"You remember that?" Bem asked, flabbergasted. "That was several months ago!"

"It was really just last month, actually. But yeah, I remember—and I thank you for helping me on both occasions."

"You're welcome, sis." Bem embraced his little sister in a warm hug.

"Come on, you two!" Afua called from the place the antelope was laid down, where Kopa was now sitting. "Or do you want your food to grow cold?"

"Or for us to eat it all?" Kopa teased.

"Coming!" Bem and Thuraya chorused.

After their meal, all four lions settled down to sleep. Almost immediately, Thuraya realized something. "We should post a watch to make sure Shomari's army doesn't catch us by surprise if they find us," she suggested, urgency in her tone.

"That's absurd!" Afua exclaimed. "No one but us can find this cave."

"I'm sorry, Afua," Thuraya apologized. "I didn't mean to offend you. But we can't afford to take the chance. I've seen Shomari up close and felt his claws dig into my shoulder, and that's enough for me to know that he's not afraid to kill anyone!" Her eyes were suddenly wide with terror at the very mention of it.

"She's right, Afua," Kopa calmly defended his upset niece. "It's either post a guard, or risk being killed."

Afua considered this, then nodded, though he was clearly peeved about losing the argument. "So be it."

"I'll take first watch," Kopa offered, standing to his feet.

The dark gold lion nodded once again. "Alright, and I'll take second watch." He looked at Bem and Thuraya, noticing that they were about to volunteer as well. "You two can rest up: we can handle this." He softened his tone when he noticed their expressions fall. "We'll let you take turns in the future, kids, I promise."

The siblings perked up at Afua's words. They knew that once he promised something, he'd keep it no matter what. They settled back down and instantly fell into a much needed sleep.

*!*

Shomari was not in a good mood.

Sure, he was pleased that the vultures had disposed of Kopa and the small cub, but he was much, much less enthralled with the bite-marks that were inflicted on his paw by the cub. He had spent the past half-hour licking his wounded paw, an action he considered to be a sign of weakness in the eyes of his followers. He knew that he would later have to prove to them that he was not about to give up his role as leader or turn the entire army around just because of a cub he had underestimated. _If that little whelp were to be brought back here alive_, he thought angrily, _I'd have killed her myself._ The bite-marks she left, he knew, would never heal properly—and leave scars.

The evil lion growled angrily once more at the thought of it. He dug his claws deep into the dirt until the ground broke the skin and made it bleed. _Will I never be free of him?_ he thought spitefully, not for the first time in his life. _Will I never escape my father's shadow?_

A hyena approached him with an air of importance, although he was also very cautious, disrupting Shomari from his thoughts. "What is it, Akida?" he interrogated.

The hyena bowed his head respectfully. "Lord Shomari, your forces are wondering when you plan on attacking Pride Rock."

It was then that Shomari realized that he had not been spending much time thinking about the attack since Kopa and the cub were first captured. As much as he hated having to delay an attack because of a wound, he knew that it would be a fatal mistake to not wait until the threat of infection had passed. He did not want to send his army in without him, for he knew from experience that they would try to use their own ideas instead of his and fail the attack. He fought back his rising frustration lest it was obvious to Akida, although Akida had proven to be very loyal to him, that he was at a loss, but was saved by a sudden memory of a tactic he learned long ago.

"No attacks right away," he answered. "I need to get this paw better before any attacks can take place."

Akida was a bit puzzled. "Then what is to be done, Lord?"

"I plan to pay a visit to Pride Rock in the morning," Shomari replied slyly. "A non-lethal one. I aim to get to know our enemies a little bit to know what we are up against before the war begins. For all I know, things may have changed dramatically since my... absence."

"An excellent plan, Lord," Akida praised. "Would you like any of us to accompany you?"

The powerful lion shook his head. "No. The lions there didn't take kindly to hyenas or vultures, and I doubt they've changed. None of you would be allowed inside. I'll go in alone. And no," he added, interrupting the hyena as he was about to object, "the lions will not attack a lone lion. They are 'honorable' that way."

"You know them better than the rest of us do, Lord," Akida said submissively. He was about to leave when he remembered something. "Oh, I almost forgot: the vultures reported seeing an adult male lion and a cub hunting a little while ago. They're not the ones we had captured earlier, but they may still be a threat."

Shomari suddenly became interested—dangerously interested, Akida could tell. "Did they see the vultures?"

"No, Lord."

"Good. Did the vutures see where the lions went?"

"Into a cave by the river, Lord."

Shomari considered what he heard for a few tense, silent moments. _They could very well be a threat. They may jeopardize my plot if they run into the Pridelands and tell on us if they see us. _"I'm not taking any chances," he said at last. "Send seven hyenas to seize them: I want them alive for questioning. Thank you, Akida. You are dismissed."

Akida bowed again. "Yes, Lord Shomari." Without wasting another moment, he left to carry out his leader's orders.

*!*

"Vitani!" Kiara called. "Have you seen Bem anywhere?"

Vitani calmly walked to see where her sister-in-law was standing, looking about frantically. "I haven't, sorry Kiara. I haven't seen him since before Thuraya was captured."

"Neither have I!" Kiara bounded to where the former Outlander stood, her beautiful face creased with worry. "You don't think he ran off to save Thuraya, do you? Just to prove himself worthy of everyone's love?"

"It is a possibility, I'm afraid." Vitani's usual hard gaze softened at the sight of how stressed out her sister-in-law was. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye out for him," she said reassuringly. "Although I think he'll come back before too long."

Kiara managed to smile a little. "Thank you, Vitani," she said thankfully in a quiet, emotional voice. She turned around and continued her own search for her son.

Vitani watched sympathetically as Kiara left. _This must be extremely tough for her_, she thought. _Her youngest daughter was just kidnapped by one of Shomari's vultures, her long-lost brother is probably in that situation himself, and now her attention-hungry son is out there behind enemy lines, trying to get them back._ She turned around and walked towards the den. "Speaking of Shomari," she murmured, "there's something I should tell Kovu about him."

"Tell me what about him?"

The tough lioness spun around in surprise to see her twin brother standing there. She let out a small chuckle and grinned a little. "I guess your training really hasn't worn off after all of these years."

Kovu returned the grin. "No, I guess not." He became serious once more. "What was it you wanted to tell me?" he inquired.

His sister's grin faded to a frown. "When Kopa told us about Shomari earlier, I couldn't help but think of a conversation I had with Nuka the day you snuck off into these lands and met up with Kiara. Nuka spoke of a fierce lion just barely younger than him named Shomari, and told me that he had been banished by our mother and Scar shortly after we were born."

"Do you think that this is the same Shomari?" Kovu asked urgently.

"I think so," Vitani answered. "Nuka had also told me that he had seen Mother speaking with Shomari the day before Kopa disappeared. When he mentioned what he saw to Mother later on, she swiped him across the face and told him to never mention Shomari's name again."

The king considered what he heard for a moment. "Did Nuka say why Shomari was banished in the first place?"

Vitani shook her head. "He never did, but there was something else that he told me." She looked into Kovu's eyes solemnly. "Shomari is the son of our mother and Scar, like Nuka was."

Kovu was so stunned by what he heard that he could not speak for about a minute. "So," he gasped out, "in other words, Shomari is our half-brother?"

Vitani's face remained grave as she nodded. "Exactly. And I think another reason why he is here is to get revenge on our family."

* * *

**Holy crud! Shomari is Kovu and Vitani's _brother_? Half-brother, to be exact. Honestly, I wasn't sure of whether or not Shomari and them should be related when I started writing this story, but now I decided to have it be so. But why exactly did Scar and Zira banish their own son from the Pridelands during their rule? Is Shomari the brother of Vitani and Kovu that Kopa was referencing? And what really _did_ happen that caused Kopa to disappear for all of these years? The answers to these three questions lie far ahead in the story, I'm afraid.**

**Please leave a review in the box below: reviews are greatly appreciated! :)**

**Newest OC name meaning:**

**Akida—chief/officer**


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